Liberia: U.S. soldier shot and injured at checkpoint

Published Monday, June 18, 2001

MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) -- A U.S. Embassy official was shot and injured Sunday by a Liberian security officer trying to stop a vehicle from crashing a security checkpoint, the Liberian government said in a statement.

The injured man was identified as Sgt. James Michael Newton, an American servicemen and the embassy's assistant military attache. His hometown was not immediately available.

Foreign Minister Monie Captan met Sunday with U.S. Ambassador Bismarck Myrick and told him the Liberian government ''expressed concern over the incident'' and ''regret'' over Newton's injuries.

The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia couldn't be reached for comment Sunday.

A statement from the Liberian Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave no details on Newton's injuries, but said he was evacuated to Abidjan, the commercial capital of neighboring Ivory Coast.

The statement did not make it clear if Newton was the driver of the vehicle.

''The government of Liberia views the incident as unfortunate and one that could have been avoided if the checkpoint had not been smashed and normal security procedures violated,'' the statement said.

The checkpoint where the incident took place at 3:50 a.m. was in a heavily secured area of Monrovia close to where President Charles Taylor has his offices.

There are checkpoints on a number of streets 24 hours a day and security is increased at night.

In recent weeks, foreign diplomats in Monrovia have been told to return to their homes before an 8 p.m. curfew.

Taylor, a warlord in Liberia's seven-year civil war, which ended in 1996, has been fighting rebellion along the border with Guinea for more than a year.